Paula’s Inline Skate Training Diary – Part 4

I’ve been very frustrated by the weather over the last month – too wet or snowy in London to skate most of the time. But I got out today for a quick skate before the rain and DRUMROLL….. I started the Intermediate “How to Skate for Fitness” course.

I just did the first 2 lessons, which are toe roll and short toe roll (with a little tap!). The new thing is much more emphasis on keeping in a straight line – for at least 10 meters – which means getting more weight on the ball of the foot in the weight bearing leg. Harder than you think and definitely worth finding a painted line to skate along, to check whether you really are straight – I wasn’t. Particularly on the right weight-bearing leg. Here’s the things I worked out, trying to correct myself.

1. Don’t scrunch my toes when I am trying to put weight on the ball of my foot – it makes me wobble.
2. Don’t clench my shoulders when I’m trying to tap my toe in the toe roll – it makes me wobble
3. Do open my arms like a ballerina and look into the distance, smiling, which helps me glide along while switching between long and short toe roll and toe roll taps.

I felt very happy and smug when I got it right, especially when a 4-year old child pointed me out to his Mum, saying “oooh”. You’ve got to take your 15 minutes of fame where you find it!

Now we just need some decent weather so I can start to build some distance.

Have booked accommodation in Berlin so the marathon in September is definitely on!

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